Cristian Pache was viewed as an 80-grade — or, elite — defensive player by the baseball scouting world as a prospect, and he showed why in the Oakland Athletics’ game against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.
In the top of the second inning, Baltimore’s Kelvin Gutierrez crushed a flyball to deep right-center field. Pache — who was acquired in the Matt Olson trade with the Atlanta Braves over the offseason — jumped high to reach the ball, but he didn’t catch it cleanly. However, he was able to secure the ball before he tumbled to the ground.
This is a wild play:
That would’ve been a dinger-robbing catch in many parks too.